


To Talk Things Out

by Rosethornss



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Conversations, But is really about trial 4, Gen, Grumpy Shuichi, Light Angst, Moody Kokichi, Nobody's dying here, Oneshot, Takes place during chapter 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28305579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosethornss/pseuds/Rosethornss
Summary: “I didn’t mean to grab you, yknow.”“...Oh?”“I wanted Kaito! I know you’re too dumb to foil my plans, but that idiot rubbing off on you would’ve kept you from even being competition! Unfortunately, his gaudy coat blinded me and I grabbed you instead! It really is a shame. Now I don’t have anyone to challenge me!”(Kokichi grabs the wrong person and they finally have to talk about what happened during trial 4)
Relationships: Oma Kokichi & Saihara Shuichi
Kudos: 19





	To Talk Things Out

“I didn’t mean to grab you, yknow.”

“...Oh?” 

It’s quiet and short and he wasn’t really expecting anything in response, but he supposes if there’s anything that will get him a little conversation in this god-awfully boring waiting game, it’s playing to the detective’s curiosity. 

“I wanted Kaito! I know you’re too dumb to foil my plans, but that idiot rubbing off on you would’ve kept you from even being competition! Unfortunately, his gaudy coat blinded me and I grabbed you instead! It really is a shame. Now I don’t have anyone to challenge me!”

“Oh.”

“...Or maybe that’s a lie!” He can’t stand these pauses, Shuichi idly tracing lines into the hangar wall. It’s not like they’re useful at this point—he doesn’t really have any plans any more. Not like this. 

“Hey, Mr. Detective, yoohoo, anything in that head of yours? Did I knock ya too hard? I don’t think your bangs are long enough to knit into a new emo hat, if that’s what you’re trying to do.”

Shuichi’s hand flies down to hide in his lap and Kokichi can’t hide his triumphant smirk. What does erase it is the disappointed but infuriatingly silent look Shuichi shoots him. Not even anger! Still no firing back, just… acceptance? The silent treatment? The “mastermind” has been shooting half-insults and half-flirts and honest-to-god conversation starters at a fucking detective for what’s felt like hours but was probably more like fifteen minutes and all he’s gotten in response was “oh!” 

Unfortunately, it ends.

“Why… why do you hate Kaito so much? I mean, if that isn’t another lie.”

Kokichi gnaws at his lip. “Because he’s stupid, and it’s contagious.”

“Well, he clearly isn’t… that… He’s more of an ultimate than someone like me, at least.”

“Ultimate schmultimate. You’re the smartest person in this place by a mile, except for me. Half these ultimates don’t even mean shit. Himiko’s done one magic trick this whole time and it was easier to figure out that Kirumi’s!

Shuichi winces at that, but finally bites back. “There are… were… so many interesting people here. Didn’t you have Miu invent things for you? That must mean you trusted her abilities at least a little.”

“And who do you think drew up the blueprints? Everyone still alive is stupid for trusting an assassin if nothing else, and everyone dead is stupid for dying. That’s all there is to it.” He withholds the fact that he should be counting himself in one of those categories. 

“Maki hasn’t hurt anyone yet! And—”

“Yet.” 

“I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Kokichi has so many things he wants to fire back at that with. Shuichi’s so, so close to understanding how the world works! That fucking optimism, that stupid, baseless, useless trust. Shuichi’s hopeless, hurt expression…

“You know… Kaito voted for Gonta.” 

“I— what?” 

He doesn't know why he spoke up, but he was stuck with it now. With entirely faked confidence and mostly in an attempt to get an unreadable distance away, Kokichi rises and swivels around, his arms comfortably thrown behind his head. “As much as I hate his lofty morals and whatever the hell he tries to do with them, he’d rather sacrifice them than all of you.” He pauses, mostly to collect himself, and turns discreetly as he can to see Shuichi across the room staring off into the near distance. 

“...He trusts you too much to have voted anyone but Gonta.”

“So, you voted for yourself?”

That’s not what he expected. This conversation needs to be stopped, now.

“Wowie, I didn’t know you were so emo you wanted to die! I personally enjoy being alive. I knew Gonta was the culprit, why would I do something like voting for myself?” He lets himself creep closer, getting so uncomfortably into Shuichi’s personal space that the other starts scooting back. “You know, if I voted myself out, I wouldn’t be able to continue this game! Too bad it got boring anyway. Maybe I should have voted myself—”

“Did you… actually feel guilty?”

“...”

“I thought that, uh, that that might not have been a lie. But you’re so good at… Lying, I guess, that I thought...”

“You thought what? That I was pathetic, and doomed to be alone and miserable forever? Cmon Shuichi, why can’t you always have a backbone? This dancing around the issue isn’t becoming of you.” The way he spat that out apparently backfired, making the detective shrink even further. 

“I… I won’t take back what I said back then.”

“Good, you shouldn’t.”

“Wait, that’s not it. Kokichi, please…”

He knows his counterpart’s stupid manners well enough to know that he’s not getting any more until he turns around to talk face-to-face, so against his better judgement he flips around to flash a plastic smile, and hopefully make Shuichi regret this a little. 

“I won’t pretend what you did was at all okay, but I don’t think you deserve to die for it. I don’t think anyone here deserved, or deserves, to die.”

That wasn’t worth even turning around. Kokichi’s face contorts like the words themselves were sour. “I don’t need your sympathy. I’m not going to kill myself.”

“I… That’s not why…”

The two let the silence creep back, and Kokichi can’t tell if this is more or less welcome than before. It gives him time to start writing up a new plan, at least. Until it doesn’t.

“Kokichi?” 

“What do you want.”

“How do you know that Kaito didn’t vote you?” Shuichi sounds drained and exhausted. Kokichi doesn’t even have to look up from his notebook to hear him struggling to get comfortable on the cold metal floor. He doesn’t have the patience to offer civilities either. Shuichi’s more of a liar than he is. 

“Because I know the other vote was you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I voted Kokichi in trial 4. He got two votes. I spent like all of my trial 3 FTEs with the twerp and he turned around and did Gonta of all people dirty like that? I’ve actually noticed a lot of people mention having a similar sort of arc with him, getting drawn in just in time to have him turn around and crush the growing trust. Very well done. 10/10 would get my emotions demolished again.


End file.
